Search

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Sites of amino acid diversity in the recipient from an HIV transmission pair at 52Â months post-diagnosis. Diverse sites are defined as amino acid positions with diversity of â Ľ10% in the intra-host population. Sites that fall within or flanking known or predicted HLA-B*27:05, B*57:01 and C*01:02-restricted epitopes are shown in red, blue and green respectively. Duplicated sites, present due to overlap in the Gag/Pol and Vif/Vpr reading frames, are shown in grey.

Advances in immunoglobulin (Ig) sequencing technology are leading to new perspectives on immune system dynamics. Much research in this nascent field has focused on resolving immune responses to viral infection. However, the dynamics of B-cell diversity in early HIV infection, and in response to anti-retroviral therapy, are still poorly understood. Here, we investigate these dynamics through bulk Ig sequencing of samples collected over 2 years from a group of eight HIV-1 infected patients, five of whom received anti-retroviral therapy during the first half of the study period. We applied previously published methods for visualizing and quantifying B-cell sequence diversity, including the Gini index, and compared their efficacy to alternative measures. While we found significantly greater clonal structure in HIV-infected patients versus healthy controls, within HIV patients, we observed no significant relationships between statistics of B-cell clonal expansion and clinical variables such as viral load and CD4(+) count. Although there are many potential explanations for this, we suggest that important factors include poor sampling resolution and complex B-cell dynamics that are difficult to summarize using simple summary statistics. Importantly, we find a significant association between observed Gini indices and sequencing read depth, and we conclude that more robust analytical methods and a closer integration of experimental and theoretical work is needed to further our understanding of B-cell repertoire diversity during viral infection.

OBJECTIVE\ud \ud HLA-B27 forms misfolded heavy chain dimers, which may predispose individuals to inflammatory arthritis by inducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR). This study was undertaken to define the role of the UPR-induced ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway in the disposal of HLA-B27 dimeric conformers.\ud \ud METHODS\ud \ud HeLa cell lines expressing only 2 copies of a carboxy-terminally Sv5-tagged HLA-B27 were generated. The ER stress-induced protein ER degradation-enhancing α-mannosidase-like protein 1 (EDEM1) was overexpressed by transfection, and dimer levels were monitored by immunoblotting. EDEM1, the UPR-associated transcription factor X-box binding protein 1 (XBP-1), the E3 ubiquitin ligase hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase degradation 1 (HRD1), and the degradation-associated proteins derlin 1 and derlin 2 were inhibited using either short hairpin RNA or dominant-negative mutants. The UPR-associated ERAD of HLA-B27 was confirmed using ER stress-inducing pharamacologic agents in kinetic and pulse chase assays.\ud \ud RESULTS\ud \ud We demonstrated that UPR-induced machinery can target HLA-B27 dimers and that dimer formation can be controlled by alterations to expression levels of components of the UPR-induced ERAD pathway. HLA-B27 dimers and misfolded major histocompatibility complex class I monomeric molecules bound to EDEM1 were detected, and overexpression of EDEM1 led to inhibition of HLA-B27 dimer formation. EDEM1 inhibition resulted in up-regulation of HLA-B27 dimers, while UPR-induced ERAD of dimers was prevented in the absence of EDEM1. HLA-B27 dimer formation was also enhanced in the absence of XBP-1, HRD1, and derlins 1 and 2.\ud \ud CONCLUSION\ud \ud The present findings indicate that the UPR ERAD pathway can dispose of HLA-B27 dimers, thus presenting a potential novel therapeutic target for modulation of HLA-B27-associated inflammatory disease.

The influenza pandemic that emerged in 2009 provided an unprecedented opportunity to study adaptation of a virus recently acquired from an animal source during human transmission. In the United Kingdom, the novel virus spread in three temporally distinct waves between 2009 and 2011. Phylogenetic analysis of complete viral genomes showed that mutations accumulated over time. Second- and third-wave viruses replicated more rapidly in human airway epithelial (HAE) cells than did the first-wave virus. In infected mice, weight loss varied between viral isolates from the same wave but showed no distinct pattern with wave and did not correlate with viral load in the mouse lungs or severity of disease in the human donor. However, second- and third-wave viruses induced less alpha interferon in the infected mouse lungs. NS1 protein, an interferon antagonist, had accumulated several mutations in second- and third-wave viruses. Recombinant viruses with the third-wave NS gene induced less interferon in human cells, but this alone did not account for increased virus fitness in HAE cells. Mutations in HA and NA genes in third-wave viruses caused increased binding to alpha-2,6-sialic acid and enhanced infectivity in human mucus. A recombinant virus with these two segments replicated more efficiently in HAE cells. A mutation in PA (N321K) enhanced polymerase activity of third-wave viruses and also provided a replicative advantage in HAE cells. Therefore, multiple mutations allowed incremental changes in viral fitness, which together may have contributed to the apparent increase in severity of A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus during successive waves. IMPORTANCE: Although most people infected with the 2009 pandemic influenza virus had mild or unapparent symptoms, some suffered severe and devastating disease. The reasons for this variability were unknown, but the numbers of severe cases increased during successive waves of human infection in the United Kingdom. To determine the causes of this variation, we studied genetic changes in virus isolates from individual hospitalized patients. There were no consistent differences between these viruses and those circulating in the community, but we found multiple evolutionary changes that in combination over time increased the virus's ability to infect human cells. These adaptations may explain the remarkable ability of A(H1N1)pdm09 virus to continue to circulate despite widespread immunity and the apparent increase in severity of influenza over successive waves of infection.

HLA-B27 forms misfolded heavy chain dimers, which may predispose individuals to inflammatory arthritis by inducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR). This study was undertaken to define the role of the UPR-induced ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway in the disposal of HLA-B27 dimeric conformers.HeLa cell lines expressing only 2 copies of a carboxy-terminally Sv5-tagged HLA-B27 were generated. The ER stress-induced protein ER degradation-enhancing α-mannosidase-like protein 1 (EDEM1) was overexpressed by transfection, and dimer levels were monitored by immunoblotting. EDEM1, the UPR-associated transcription factor X-box binding protein 1 (XBP-1), the E3 ubiquitin ligase hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase degradation 1 (HRD1), and the degradation-associated proteins derlin 1 and derlin 2 were inhibited using either short hairpin RNA or dominant-negative mutants. The UPR-associated ERAD of HLA-B27 was confirmed using ER stress-inducing pharamacologic agents in kinetic and pulse chase assays.We demonstrated that UPR-induced machinery can target HLA-B27 dimers and that dimer formation can be controlled by alterations to expression levels of components of the UPR-induced ERAD pathway. HLA-B27 dimers and misfolded major histocompatibility complex class I monomeric molecules bound to EDEM1 were detected, and overexpression of EDEM1 led to inhibition of HLA-B27 dimer formation. EDEM1 inhibition resulted in up-regulation of HLA-B27 dimers, while UPR-induced ERAD of dimers was prevented in the absence of EDEM1. HLA-B27 dimer formation was also enhanced in the absence of XBP-1, HRD1, and derlins 1 and 2.The present findings indicate that the UPR ERAD pathway can dispose of HLA-B27 dimers, thus presenting a potential novel therapeutic target for modulation of HLA-B27-associated inflammatory disease.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is the etiological agent of chickenpox and shingles, diseases characterized by epidermal skin blistering. Using a calcium-induced keratinocyte differentiation model we investigated the interaction between epidermal differentiation and VZV infection. RNA-seq analysis showed that VZV infection has a profound effect on differentiating keratinocytes, altering the normal process of epidermal gene expression to generate a signature that resembles patterns of gene expression seen in both heritable and acquired skin-blistering disorders. Further investigation by real-time PCR, protein analysis and electron microscopy revealed that VZV specifically reduced expression of specific suprabasal cytokeratins and desmosomal proteins, leading to disruption of epidermal structure and function. These changes were accompanied by an upregulation of kallikreins and serine proteases. Taken together VZV infection promotes blistering and desquamation of the epidermis, both of which are necessary to the viral spread and pathogenesis. At the same time, analysis of the viral transcriptome provided evidence that VZV gene expression was significantly increased following calcium treatment of keratinocytes. Using reporter viruses and immunohistochemistry we confirmed that VZV gene and protein expression in skin is linked with cellular differentiation. These studies highlight the intimate host-pathogen interaction following VZV infection of skin and provide insight into the mechanisms by which VZV remodels the epidermal environment to promote its own replication and spread., Author Summary Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox and shingles, which are characterised by the formation of fluid-filled skin lesions. Infectious viral particles present in these lesions are critical for airborne spread to cause chickenpox in non-immune contacts and for infection of nerve ganglia via nerve endings in the skin, a pre-requisite for shingles. Several VZV proteins, although dispensable in laboratory cell-culture, are essential for VZV infection of skin, a finding thought to relate to VZV interaction with a process known as epidermal differentiation. In this, the specialised keratinocyte cells of the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, are continually shed to be replaced by differentiating keratinocytes, which migrate up from lower layers. How VZV interaction with epidermal differentiation leads to the formation of fluid-filled lesions remains unclear. We show using a keratinocyte model of epidermal differentiation that VZV infection alters epidermal differentiation, generating a specific pattern of changes in that is characteristic of blistering and skin shedding diseases. We also identified that the differentiation status of the keratinocytes influences the replication pattern of the viral gene and protein expression, with both increasing as the VZV particles traverses to the uppermost layers of the skin. The findings provide new insights into VZV-host cell interactions.

Swine influenza causes concern for global veterinary and public health officials. In continuing two previous networks that initiated the surveillance of swine influenza viruses (SIVs) circulating in European pigs between 2001 and 2008, a third European Surveillance Network for Influenza in Pigs (ESNIP3, 2010-2013) aimed to expand widely the knowledge of the epidemiology of European SIVs. ESNIP3 stimulated programs of harmonized SIV surveillance in European countries and supported the coordination of appropriate diagnostic tools and subtyping methods. Thus, an extensive virological monitoring, mainly conducted through passive surveillance programs, resulted in the examination of more than 9 000 herds in 17 countries. Influenza A viruses were detected in 31% of herds examined from which 1887 viruses were preliminary characterized. The dominating subtypes were the three European enzootic SIVs: avian-like swine H1N1 (53.6%), human-like reassortant swine H1N2 (13%) and human-like reassortant swine H3N2 (9.1%), as well as pandemic A/H1N1 2009 (H1N1pdm) virus (10.3%). Viruses from these four lineages co-circulated in several countries but with very different relative levels of incidence. For instance, the H3N2 subtype was not detected at all in some geographic areas whereas it was still prevalent in other parts of Europe. Interestingly, H3N2-free areas were those that exhibited highest frequencies of circulating H1N2 viruses. H1N1pdm viruses were isolated at an increasing incidence in some countries from 2010 to 2013, indicating that this subtype has become established in the European pig population. Finally, 13.9% of the viruses represented reassortants between these four lineages, especially between previous enzootic SIVs and H1N1pdm. These novel viruses were detected at the same time in several countries, with increasing prevalence. Some of them might become established in pig herds, causing implications for zoonotic infections.

Few questions on infectious disease are more important than understanding how and why avian influenza A viruses successfully emerge in mammalian populations, yet little is known about the rate and nature of the virus’ genetic adaptation in new hosts. Here, we measure, for the first time, the genomic rate of adaptive evolution of swine influenza viruses (SwIV) that originated in birds. By using a curated dataset of more than 24 000 human and swine influenza gene sequences, including 41 newly characterized genomes, we reconstructed the adaptive dynamics of three major SwIV lineages (Eurasian, EA; classical swine, CS; triple reassortant, TR). We found that, following the transfer of the EA lineage from birds to swine in the late 1970s, EA virus genes have undergone substantially faster adaptive evolution than those of the CS lineage, which had circulated among swine for decades. Further, the adaptation rates of the EA lineage antigenic haemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes were unexpectedly high and similar to those observed in human influenza A. We show that the successful establishment of avian influenza viruses in swine is associated with raised adaptive evolution across the entire genome for many years after zoonosis, reflecting the contribution of multiple mutations to the coordinated optimization of viral fitness in a new environment. This dynamics is replicated independently in the polymerase genes of the TR lineage, which established in swine following separate transmission from non-swine hosts.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic changes in Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) sequence diversity and divergence are associated with immune control during primary infection and progression to AIDS. Consensus sequencing or single genome amplification sequencing of the HIV-1 envelope (env) gene, in particular the variable (V) regions, is used as a marker for HIV-1 genome diversity, but population diversity is only minimally, or semi-quantitatively sampled using these methods. RESULTS: Here we use second generation deep sequencing to determine inter-and intra-patient sequence heterogeneity and to quantify minor variants in a cohort of individuals either receiving or not receiving antiretroviral treatment following seroconversion; the SPARTAC trial. We show, through a cross-sectional study of sequence diversity of the env V3 in 30 antiretroviral-naive patients during primary infection that considerable population structure diversity exists, with some individuals exhibiting highly constrained plasma virus diversity. Diversity was independent of clinical markers (viral load, time from seroconversion, CD4 cell count) of infection. Serial sampling over 60 weeks of non-treated individuals that define three initially different diversity profiles showed that complex patterns of continuing HIV-1 sequence diversification and divergence could be readily detected. Evidence for minor sequence turnover, emergence of new variants and re-emergence of archived variants could be inferred from this analysis. Analysis of viral divergence over the same time period in patients who received short (12 weeks, ART12) or long course antiretroviral therapy (48 weeks, ART48) and a non-treated control group revealed that ART48 successfully suppressed viral divergence while ART12 did not have a significant effect. CONCLUSIONS: Deep sequencing is a sensitive and reliable method for investigating the diversity of the env V3 as an important component of HIV-1 genome diversity. Detailed insights into the complex early intra-patient dynamics of env V3 diversity and divergence were explored in antiretroviral-naïve recent seroconverters. Long course antiretroviral therapy, initiated soon after seroconversion and administered for 48 weeks, restricts HIV-1 divergence significantly. The effect of ART12 and ART48 on clinical markers of HIV infection and progression is currently investigated in the SPARTAC trial.

Objectives: The “European surveillance network for influenza in pigs (ESNIP) 3” continues a surveillance network previously established during concerted actions ESNIP 1 and ESNIP 2. Running from 2010-2013, ESNIP 3 represents the only organised surveillance network for influenza in pigs in Europe and seeks to strengthen formal interactions with human and avian surveillance networks. Materials and Methods: The project consortium comprises 24 participants, contributing a variety of specialism’s and skills ensuring multi-disciplinary cutting-edge outputs. Most partners are actively working with swine influenza virus (SIV) experimentally and in the field. Three work packages aim to increase knowledge of the epidemiology and evolution of SIV in European pigs to inform changes in disease trends and variation in contemporary viruses through organised field surveillance programmes. Results: An inventory of the programmes that are currently active in fifteen of the partners showed that passive surveillance was primarily used. Detected virus strains will be characterised by antigenic cartography (informing better evidence-based approaches for selection of vaccine strains) and genetically through full genome sequencing using the latest technology. The virus bank and electronic database will be expanded and formally curated with relevant SIV isolates together with information for global dissemination within and out with the consortium to the wider scientific and veterinarycommunity. Conclusions: All data will improve SI diagnosis by updating reagents employed in the recommended techniques to define minimum datasets for standardised epidemiological analyses. These approaches will aid pandemic preparedness and planning for human influenza whilst providing an evidence base for decisions relating to veterinary health.